by Chelo Manchego ; illustrated by Chelo Manchego ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 21, 2017
A child-friendly introduction to the challenging work of knowing one’s mind.
The child narrator in this story has a Want Monster. Want Monsters aren’t bad; everyone has one. However, this one has grown much too big.
The protagonist’s Want Monster, Oskar, is “ginormous.” When the child, depicted as a pale-skinned, freckled stick figure with a large round head and three strands of sticking-up hair, eats a cupcake, Oskar insists on four more. When the child plays a video game, Oskar forces continued play, to the point of repetitive stress injury to the thumbs. The child realizes that always listening to Oskar leads to unhappiness, but fighting or outrunning Oskar is impossible. The child tries instead to just let Oskar be Oskar without always reacting to him. It’s difficult, but over time Oskar shrinks into “Oskarcito,” a tiny Want Monster. Published by a press known for its titles on personal growth and spirituality, this picture book successfully introduces children to the concept of using mindfulness to observe one’s thoughts and desires. With its universal message of taming the impulse to overindulge, this title is relevant for both Buddhist and secular audiences. The humor, bright color palette, and sketchlike quality of the illustrations keep the Want Monsters from being too scary for young readers. However, because the action in the illustrations takes place on just the bottom third of the page, they can at times be hard to read.
A child-friendly introduction to the challenging work of knowing one’s mind. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 21, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-61180-365-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Shambhala
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2017
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by Hoda Kotb ; illustrated by Chloe Dominique ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2024
Pleasant enough but not particularly original.
Uplifting messages of positivity from the Today show anchor.
Hope springs eternal, so the saying goes. Kotb agrees, here delivering to children the cheery news that hope lives inside all of them and that whatever they might wish for can be theirs. All they need is a sunny outlook, and the possibilities for happy outcomes are virtually endless. Children’s dreams can be in-the-moment ones—like purple ice cream with whipped cream and a cherry—or more far-ranging ones, such as growing tall enough to reach that high shelf easily or for hair that’s long enough to braid. It doesn’t matter, the author reassures young readers. Your aspirations will be realized, so don’t give up on them—just keep believing in them and, most of all, in yourself. Throughout, Kotb calls hope a rainbow, a feeling, a gift, and a wish. Hope is “new friends you’ll find— / friends who are loving and funny and kind.” Hope is “practicing your heart out, letter by letter.” The book’s overarching theme is upbeat, but its bouncy rhyming text is clumsy. The child-appealing illustrations are colorful and lively, though they have a generic look. The cast of wide-eyed characters is racially diverse; some have visible disabilities.
Pleasant enough but not particularly original. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9780593624128
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Flamingo Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 16, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2024
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by Hoda Kotb ; illustrated by Suzie Mason
by Phil Rosenthal & Lily Rosenthal ; illustrated by Luke Flowers ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024
Amusing but misleading on the nutritional and behavioral fronts.
With one taste of despised mustard, a child pivots from rejecting new foods to seeking them.
Dad takes Lil to a food truck festival. Lil, who narrates the story, is nervous; this child’s list of acceptable foods is short (pizza, rice, grilled cheese, french fries, and vanilla ice cream). Dad loves varied tastes and repeatedly reminds Lil of his rule: “Just try it!” With a “YECCCH!” or an “EWWWWWW!” Lil refuses a bagel loaded with toppings, linguini with clams, Peking duck, pizza with spinach and garlic, and a pretzel covered with Lil’s most hated of foods: mustard. Frustrated, Lil accidentally knocks the pretzel onto Dad’s shirt. Lil apologizes, takes a lick of mustard…and instantly learns to appreciate every rejected offering. Lil then uses the title mantra to pressure Dad onto a nausea-inducing roller-coaster ride. Bright, cartoon-style illustrations emphasize the pair's upbeat mood. Food neophobia, or an aversion to eating anything novel, has complex psychosocial roots. But in this blithe little fable, the child’s resistance is completely overcome with a single accidental exposure, and the formerly picky eater immediately becomes a novelty seeker. The turnaround here is implausible; if this book creates any expectations of a sudden dramatic change in a child’s behavior, that would be a disservice. Both Dad and Lil are light-skinned.
Amusing but misleading on the nutritional and behavioral fronts. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781665942638
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2023
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